Metal desk



Sept. 9 1924. 1,508,259

I. A. STAFFORD METAL DESK Filed 001.. 27, 1919 6 Sheets-Shet 1 Sept. 9. 1924.

I. A. STAFFORD METAL DESK Filed Oct.

Sept. 9 1924.

I. A. STAFFORD METAL DESK Filed Oct. 2'7, 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIII/IIIIII l1 Se t. 9 1924.

I. A. STAFFORD METAL DESK Filed Oct. 27, 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 A lllllllllll I Sept. 9. 1924.

l A. STAFFORD METAL DESK Filed Oct. 27, 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jnv nl/r surfaces durin Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

PATENT oLFFIcE.

ION .A'. STAFFORD, or :rsmnsrown, NEW YORK.

" METAL DESK.

Application filed October 27, 1919.]Sria1 No. 363,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, IoN A. STAFFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal Desks; of which the following is a specification.

.This invention relates generally to furniture constructed of pressed sheet steel, and more particularly to a table or desk which may be shipped to a customer in a knockdown condition, so as to reduce the cost of shipping the same.

One ob'ect of the invention is to produce a light but strong metal desk which may be readily altered by an unskilled owner, to change the arrangement of the drawers, sliding shelves filing compartments, etc., to suit his fancy or convenience, or a changed use .of the desk. 4

A further object of the invention is to permit of readily assembling the desk or changing or replacing any of its parts without using other than the most common tools.

Another object is to provide means for directly connecting the top of the desk to the supporting legs without causing the top to be buckled or distorted.

A further object is to provide simple means for reinforcing or stiffening the top and other parts of the desk.

A still furtherobject is to provide such a construction as will permit of giving 'all parts of the desk a final coat of enamel-or paint prior to the assembling thereof without the liability of scratching the exposed the assembling operation. Additional 0 jects and advantages are hereinafter described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings: i Figure 1 is a perspective view f my improvedmetal desk with some of the parts removed. Figure 2 is a similar view of a shallow drawer. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a deeper filin' drawer. 1 Figure 4'is aperspecpedestal. Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section through one of the pedestals, taken partly on line 88, Fig. 6,

and partly on line 8 8, Fig. 10. Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken on line 99, Fig. 10. Figure 10 is avertical transverse section through one of the pedestals taken on line 10-10, Fig. 6. Figures 11 and 12 are horizontal sections through one of the rear legs taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 6. Figure 13 is a horizontalsection of one of the pedestal legs, showing a filler piece having a modified form of return bend flanges. Figure 14 is a fragmentary cross section of a pair of the drawer-slides and the corresponding drawerguides. Figure 15 is a horizontal section of one of the'front legs on line 1515, Fig. 1. Figure 16 is a similar section on line 16-16, Fig.8. Figure 17 is a horizontal section on line 1717, Fig. 8. Figure 18 is a vertical section on line-181 8, Fig. 17. Figure 19 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of va modified form of the supporting legs and the drawer strikes. Figure 20 is a perspective view of a modified form of the drawer slides.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several.

views. v I v The desk-top which is preferably constructed of sheet metal, is supported by two of one will therefore applyto both.

Each of the rear legs or posts 20 is preferably constructed of sheet metal of angular or L shaped cross section throughout its entire length, and comprises a longitudinal vertical wall 21 and a transverse vertical wall 22, both of which extend inwardly from the outer corner of said leg. The inner edges of both of said walls are .provided with inwardly-turned return-bend flanges 23, 24, as bestshownin Figs. 6, 11' and 12. Engaging said front return-bend flange 23 and adapted to be moved downwardly thereon, is a vertical longitudinal side panel 25 whose rear edge is provided with a vertical return-bend flange 26, which is lapped around said flange 23. To temporarily prevent the upper end of the panel from moving rearwardly outof engagement with the front flange'of said leg, in assembling the parts, a comparatively weak retaining lip 27 may be arranged at the upper edge of said panel, being formed by cutting a short vertical slit 28 in the upper edge of said panel'adjacent to the flange thereof and then bending outwardly the upper corner of metal immediately forward of the slit. The rear vertical edge of said lip 28 bears against the front face of the flange 23 of the leg and prevents rearward displacement of the panel, while forward displacement is prevented by the flanged interlock or engagement between said panel and said leg. It is not necessary that the panel be provided with the lip 27 prior to assembling the parts, but the panel may be merely provided with the slit 28 and the lip 27 formed after the panel has been plroperly positioned on the supporting leg.

owever, this lip is not essential and may be omitted if desired, its function being solely to facilitate the assembling of the desk by temporarily holding the panel in place.

Primarily for the purpose of stiffness, the upper and lower horizontal edges of the panel are provided with the inturned horizontal flanges 30 and 31.

The rear legs of each pedestal are connected by a rear panel 32 whose construction is similar to that of the side panel 25 and which is provided at'each of its vertical edges with a return bend flange33, adapted to engage with the flange 24 of the adjacent rear leg 21, as seen in Figs. 6 and 11.

Secured within the lower part of each rear and front leg by spot welds 34 or otherwise, is a vertically disposed locking or abut-.

ment plate 35 comprising a longitudinal wing or extension 36 secured to the wall'21 of the leg and a transverse-wing or extension 37 secured to the wall 22 thereof, as shown in Figs. 6, 11 and 12. Formed at the forward end of said longitudinal extension 36 is an inwardly turned, transverse abutment flange 38, which bears against the flange 26 of the side panel 25, preventing the lower part of the latter from moving rearwardly outof engagement with the front flange 23 of the leg. Similarly, the lower part of the rear panel 32 is prevented from disengaging from the flange 24 of the leg by a vertically disposed abutment flange 40 turned inwardly at the inner end of the transverse extension 37 of the abutment plate.

Below the side and rear panels and adapted to support the same is a vertically disposed filler piece 41 of L-shaped cross section which forms the front and inner sides of the exposed lower part ofeach rear leg, giving it the smooth finished appearance of a solid squarebar and alsoleliminating obyectionable sharp edges which might tear or cut any clothing coming in Contact with them. This filler piece comprises a transverse wall 42 and a longitudinal wall 43. At the outer edge of the transverse wall is formed a vertical return bend flange 44 which engages slidingly with the front flange 23 of the rear leg, as shown in Fig. 12. The rear edge of the longitudinal wall 43 is likewise provided With a return bend flange 45 which engages with the flange 24 of said leg. The flanges of the filler piece are retained in engagement with the co-operating flanges of the leg by the same abutment plate 35 heretofore mentioned, said plate extending some distance below the desk panels for this purpose. In Fig. 13 is shown a modified form of return-bend flanges 440, 450, which are provided with additional bends and bear with their outer thin edge against the outer faces of the respective in a foot piece 46 which is preferably a solid casting tapered toward its bottom end, for the sake of appearance. As best shown in Fig. 8, the upper outer corner of the foot piece is provided with a rabbet or shoulder 47 which is adapted to receive and support the walls of both the filler piece 41 and the leg. Inasmuch as the side and rear panels 25 and 32 rest upon said filler piece and the latter rests upon the foot piece 46, it is apparent that all of said parts are solidly supported. The lowermost part of the foot piece 46 is preferably provided with a recess 50 or other means whereby the usual antifriction roller or caster maybe secured to the foot piece. Centrally formed in the lower part of said foot piece 46 is a hole 51 which receives the head of a vertically-disposed clamping bolt 52 provided at its upper end with a screw thread which engagesa threaded hole 53 formed centrally in the lower web 54 of a substantially U-shapod cleat 55 having upwardly-extending suspension arms 56. To facilitate the'screwing of the clamping bolt 52 into-the cleat, a guide socket or ing downwardly, is formed in said web concentrically with the hole 53. At the upper ends of "said arms are formed horizontal, outwardly-extending flanges 57 which are secured directly to the lower face of the desk-top 58 by spot welding or other means. These flanges rest on the upper end of the adjacent leg, so that the downward strain or draft caused by the tightening of the clamping bolt 52 is received solely by said cleat, thus relieving the comparatively thin and flexible desk-top therefrom and avoiding all liability of buckling it. The depressed body-portion of the cleat fits snugly inside of the leg and is completely enclosed by it, the cleat bearing against two sides of the leg, as shown in Fig, 9, thereby properlyi positioning the leg with respect to the desk-top and keeping it in place. On two sides, said cleat contacts directly with and presses outwardly. the flanges of the side and rear panels 25, 32, thereby effectually preventing said panels from moving out of engagement wth their companion flanges 24 and 26 formed on said leg.

As shown in Fig. 6, the forward vertical edge of each side panel 25 is provided with a return-bend flange 60 adapted to engage with a corresponding flange 61 formed at the rear of the companion front leg 62. This leg hasan inner longitudinal wall 63 which is provided with a vertical row of blisters, loops or brackets 64 having vertical apertures 65. These blisters are preferably; formed by making a plurality of horizontal slits in said inner wall and then pressing outwardly the metal between them. The blis ters need not b of the precise form shown in the drawings, the essential characteristics being ledges or brackets each provided with a vertical aperture.

Located intermediately of each pair of front and rear legs is a vertical supporting post 68 which is preferably constructed of angle iron and arranged to rest on the lower horizontal flange 31 of'the adjacent side panel 25, as shown in Fig. 6. This post is secured near its lower end to said flange by a bolt 70 or otherwise. The inner longitudinal wall 71 of the post is provided with a vertical row of blisters or apertured brack-' ets 640 similar to the blisters 64-. arranged on the front leg 62. The blisters of said front leg and said supporting post are arranged in horizontal alinement or in sets, so that for every blister 64 on said leg, there is a corresponding blister 640 arranged on said supporting post in horizontal alinement therewith. It will be understood that each pedestal'has two of such posts arranged H directly opposite each other and that their blisters carry the rear portions of opposing pairs of drawer-slides or guideways 72, while the opposing sets of blisters on the front legs of the pedestal carry the front portions of said slides. Asshown, these slides are preferably channel-shaped, and each provided near the rear end of its web with an upwardly projecting tongue 73 which passes throu h one of the rear blisters, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. Arranged immediately in front of said tongue and formed in the web of the drawer-slide'72 is an L-shaped slot or notch 74 whose upper longitudinal edge 75 acts as a supporting edge or suspension 7 5 while the vertical portion of the slot is adapted to terminate a short distance in front of the tongue 73 vto admit the front end bar of the blister in engaging the drawer-slide with the latter.

Longitudinally in line with the lower edge of said notch and extending rearwardly of said tongue is preferably, though not necessarily, arranged a step 76 which termi-. nates at the rear end of the drawer-slide. The horizontal part of the notch 74 is just wide enough to receive one of the blisters 640, while the length of the blister-apertures is somewhat greater than the width. of the tongue 73. To interlock the rear end of the drawer-slide with any one ofthe sup porting-post blisters, the tongue 73 is moved upwardly into the'front' portion of the aperture of said blister until the step 76 and the lower edge of the'notch 74, come in contact' with the lower edge of the blister. Then the drawer-slide is shifted rearwardly, causing its supporting edge 75 to slide upon'the blister and rest thereon, as shown in Fig. 6. Vertical displacement of the drawerslide is thus prevented by the engagement of theupper and lower edges of the notch, 74 with the upper and lower faces of the blister while lateral displacement of the slide is prevented by the engagement of the tongue with the blister.

The forward end of each drawer-slide'is positively locked to the proper blister 64 ofthe corresponding front supporting leg. As best shown in Figs. 8, 17 and 18, this engagement is preferably effected by stamping a three-sided or approximately U-shaped slot or opening 77 in the web of the drawer-slide. near its front end, to form an integral tongue or key 78 which is adapted to pass downwardly through said blister or apertured bracket, thereby supporting the front portion ofthe drawer-slide on the blister and at the same time holding the slide against the adjacent leg. The horizontal part of said slot is of suflicient length and width to receive the blister, while the upright branches of the slot are wide enough to receive the end members of the blister. In interlocking the parts, the horizontal part of the slot is passed over the blister and the front end of the drawer slide is then lowered to drop the tongue into the blister. This forms an exceedingly simple and inexpensive locking device Which permits the draw er-slide to be quickly shifted from one set of apertured brackets or blisters to another in changing the arrangement of the drawers.

A modified constructionv of this locking device is shown in Fig. 20. In this case, the web of the drawer-slide is provided with a plain horizontal slot 77 for receiving the blister, and the locking tongue or key- 78 is replaced by a vertically swinging tongue or key 780, pivoted at 81 to the slide, the free end of the key being'adapted to pass through the blister. An upwardly-extending notch 82 is formed in the lower edge of the key to permit it to properlyclear the rear edge of the blister.

Adapted to slide longitudinallyon said drawer-slidesare a plurality. of drawers or other suitable. filing compartments 84, ex-' strength, and each end of the strike passes- .are pressed from sheet steel and are stan'tially U shaped in cross section. Like the rear legs, they are provided with inamplesof which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each of these drawers is provided at opposite sides with slide bars 85 which fit into the channels of the drawer-slides,and which are preferably channel-shaped with their grooves 86 facing away from the sides of the drawer. The outer edges of the slidebar flanges bear against the Vertical walls of the drawer slides, and the grooves 86 permit the 'slide bars to clear both the blisters 64 and the modified form of'key 780. However, when desired, anydrawer with its slide bar may be slid completely 'out ,of the desk and then without the use of anytools, the position of the drawer slides may be readily altered, to make the desk efliciently fulfill the desired ends.

88v indicates the lowermost drawerstrike of each pedestal, which also serves to tie its front legs firmly together. These legs subternal rods'o2 which clamp the desk top to their upper ends and the foot pieces 46 to their lower ends. As shown in Figs. 1 and 6 the portions of their inner walls 68 below the lowermost drawer-strike 88 are cut away from the rear edges of said walls nearly to their front edges, and those cut-away portions as well as the adjacent rear sides of the front legs are closed by filler pieces 410 identical with the filler-pieces 43 of the rear legs. As shown in Fig. 16, the rear vertical flange of each of these filler pieces interlocks with the corresponding flange 61 of the front leg, while the front flange of the filler piece interlocks with a vertical flange 87 bent inwardly from the adjacent narrowportion of the side wall 63. I The drawer-strikes are preferably constructed of channel iron, for lightness and through a rectangular opening 93 formed in theadj acent side wall of the front leg on the rear side of its flange 87 which latter extends to the top of said opening. Said wall is also preferably provided with ayvertical notch 94 and a horizontal notch 95 which are adapted to receive an upper vertical flange 96 and the lower flange 91, respectively, of said drawerstrike. The end portion of the lower flange 91 is provided with a hole 97 to receive the adjacent clamping bolt .52 and said flange rests upon the filler piece 410 which sustains the drawer-strike.

' In the upper and lower flanges 90 and 91 ofthe drawer-strike are formed verticallyalined notches 92 which interlock with the flange 87, and the face of the wall 63. By

' this construction theadrawer-strikes are rigidly secured in place and the front legs are firmly tied together. As shown in Fig. 16, the flange 87 is dentical in cross section with the other vertical flanges on both the front and rear legs, so that the same dies may be employed to stamp both the front filler pieces 410 and the rear filler pieces 41.

As shown in Fig. 1, a suitable drawerstril-Ie 59 is located below each'of the upper and intermediate drawers 84. In the construction shown, each of said strikes con sists of a bar of angular cross section pro vided at its ends with depending lips or tongues 59 i emovably fitted into a pair of the blisters 64'.

A modified form of the lower tie bar is shown in Fig. 19 in which a plain-channel bar 98 is employed which however does not function as a drawer-strike. In this construction, the inward movement of the slid- 111g drawers 84 or a safe-door, for example, is limited by a vertical strike-shoulder 100 which is formed on the inner side-wall 630 of' the front leg 620 rearwardly of its face anfl against which the usual laterally extending parts of the front walls: of the drawers are adapted to strike in an obvious manner.- By this means the separate transverse drawer-strikes may be eliminated and drawers of greater depth may be employed inasmuch as the bottom of one drawer may be arranged Very closely to the one next beneath'it, thereby effecting a further economy of space.

A For the purpose of stiifening the pedestals and also excluding dust, it is preferred to employ a horizontal dust plate 101 on the bottom of each pedestal, said plate resting on the lowermost horizontal flanges 31 of p the side and rear panels 25, 32, and the flange 91 of the lowermost tie bar or drawerstrike and being suitably secured thereto by engage. with a suitableset of blisters 6 1;. as

shown in Figs. 8 and 10. Secured by welding or otherwise to the upper surface of the shelf-support are two longitudinally disposed rails or runways 107 having baseflanges 108, the ridges or upper faces 110 of the runways being convex so as topresent a narrow smooth surface. Arrangedto slide back and forth longitudinally on the bonvex surfaces 110 is a shelf 111, which lateral edges are provided with depending return bend flanges or guides 112 which embrace retaining flanges 113 extending laterally from the outer sides of the runways 107 near their base flanges. Thus the shelf slides with comparatively little friction on the runways and is restrained against upward movement by said retaining flanges.

As shown in Figs. 5 and8, the rear edge 1 of the shelf-support 102 is provided with an upturned flange 114 whose upper edge is adapted to bear against the underside of the desk top 58 and thereby stiffen the same. The rear edge of the sliding shelf 111 is provided preferably with a similar upturned flange 115 to the central part of which ls applied a bumper comprising a core 116 which is covered. with felt orother suitable sound deadening material 117, this bumper being adapted to strike against the front face of the flange 114 and'limit the rearward movement of the sliding shelf. This bumper extends a short distance below the body of said shelf and is adapted to encounter a pivoted stop 118 and thereby limit the outward movement of the shelf. As shown in Fig. 8,

this pivoted stop comprises a central fulcrum-portion 120 which is arranged in a transverse slot 121 formed in the central part of the shaft-support 102. Normally extending upwardly and rearwardly from said central portion is an upper arm 122 and 'eX-.

tending downwardly and forwardly therefrom is a lower, arm 123, which outweighs the upper arm, so that normally said swinging stop assumes the position shown in the draw ings. When however it is desired to com pletely remove-the sliding shelf, the drawer or filing compartment 84 situatedimmediately below the shelf-support 102 is pulled out a short distance to admit the users hand, and the lower arm 123 of the/pivoted stop is then moved upwardly, thereby with drawing its upper arm 122 from the path ofv movement of the bumper and'allowing the shelf to be completely withdrawn.

To asssemble the desk, the side .and' rear panels 25 and 32 are first slid downwardly on the flanges of the front and rear legs. Then the front and rear filler piece410 and 41 are slid upwardly on said legs and the foot pieces 46 fitted in place. The desk top 58 is next placed in proper position against the top of the legs and the clanmping bolts 52 are inserted through the holes of the foot pieces 46 andscrewedintovthe holes- 53 of the cleats 55 being guided into them by the guide-depressions 49. The intermediate supporting post 68 is then secured at its lower end to the side panel by the bolt 70 and the shelf-support 102 secured at its rear end to said post, and thetongues 106 of said su port are dropped into a suitable set of blisters 64'. Then the tie. bar and drawer strike 88, orthe plainv tie bar 98, as the case may be, is inserted and if any intermediate drawer strikes 59 are to be." employed, the same are secured at their opposite ends to v 111 are inserted.

suitable horizontal, sets 'of blisters 64. Finally, the drawer slides 72 are' secured to the proper sets of blisters of each pedestal and proper drawers 84 and the sliding shelf Should it be desired to rearrange the drawers or to insert plain shelves, roller book shelves, book stalls, or the like, this can '1 be easily done without the aid of toolsQ 'And if it be desired to hare one set of drawers facing in onedirection and the other set in' the opposite direction, so as to make a two-- faced desk, this can be readily accomplished by reversing one of the pedestals.

and can be manufactured at low cost.

While my nnprovements are herein shown and descrlbed in connection with a metal desk, theyare obviously applicable to other articles of furniture.

I claim as my invention 1. A metal desk, comprising a desk-top, a hollow supporting leg for the top, longitudinal and transverse panels joined to said leg by interlocking flanges on the vertical edges of said parts, a rectangular cleat secured at its'ends to the underside of-the desk-top and having its intermediate portion depressed and seated in the top of said leg and bearing at two sides against said flanges to hold them in locked position, and means for securing said cleat in said leg. A

2. A metal desk and the like, comprising a leg provided with a vertical flange, a panel provided w1th a flange interlocking with said legflange, and a'ret'aining lip on the panel abutting against said leg-flange, said'lip being formed by slitting the edge of said panel vertically and bending the. adjacent portion of the metal laterally.

'3. A metal desk and the like, comprising a leg provided with a vertical flange, a panel engaging with said flange, a filler 'piece' also engaging with said flange, and

iii)

piece provided with flanges which also en- I gage with said-leg-flanges, and an abutmentplate secured to said leg and arranged to hold both the panels and the flanges of the filler piece in engagement with the return bend flanges of said leg.

5. A metal desk and the like, comprising a leg having opposing walls each provided at its vertical edge with a flange, a filler piece engaging with said, flanges, and, a drawer-strike arranged above said fillerpioce and engaging with one of said flanges.

6. A'metaldesk and the like, comprising a hollow leg provided in a Wall thereof with an opening and adjacent to said opening with an uprightflange extending into the leg, said opening being provided in its top with a notch, and a drawer-strike passing through said opening and provided with an upwardly-extending flange arranged in said notch andwin its sides with a notch which interlocks with said flange.

7. A metal desk and the like, comprising a hollow leg having the lower portion of one of its walls cut away and provided with an upright flange extending into the leg, a drawer-strike having its end interlonked with the upper portion of said flange, and

k a filler piece for the cut-away portion of said leg engaging the lower part of said flange and bearing against the lower side of said drawer-strike.

8. A metal desk and the like, comprising a hollow leg having the lower portion of one of its walls cut away and provided with an upright flange extending into the leg and adjacent to the upper end of said flange with an opening, a drawer-strike fitted in said opening and interlocking with said cal flange extending into the leg and upwardly along the side of said opening, a drawer-strike passing through said opening and interlocking with the upper portion of said flange, the opposing wall of the leg being provided at'its edge with a vertical flange, and a' filler piece for the lower cutaway portion of the leg arranged beneath the drawer-strike and having flanges which interlock with the flanges of said opposing walls.

10. A metal desk and the like, comprising opposing upright front supports each provided with a vertical row of apertures,

vopposing upright rear supports each provided with a vertical ,row of apertures, the apertures of said front and rear rows being in horizontal alinement, shiftable drawerslides engaging with their opposite ends in a set of said front and rear apertures, and shiftable tie bars arranged at right angles to said drawer-slides and engaging with their opposite ends in one of "said sets of w front apertures.

roN A. srarronn. 

